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winter 2008
CHRIS J AKTVt AIL
HI BRYAN
COLLEGE
Bryan Life
A publication of Bryan College
Volume 35, Number 2
Editorial Office:
Bryan College
P.O. Box 7000
Dayton, TN 37321-7000
(423) 775-2041
www.brvan.edu
Index:
The essence of Vision 2020 - ]
*•
Presenting the MBA at Bryan
ampus News
Page 8
The Man
William Jennings Bryan
Page 12
Faculty/Staff Notes
Remembering Bryan - Page
2008 Homecoming - Page 16
An Invitation Brings Benefits - Pag
Lion Tracks - Page 22
Speaking of Change - Page 25
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Cover Photo: Dean Bell
program, is in tne neart or enattanooga s
downtown. Read about the MBA program on
page 5.
Bryan Life (USPS 072-010) is published quarterly for
alumni and friends of Bryan College. POSTMAS-
TER: Send change of address to Bryan Life, P.O. Box
7000, Dayton, TN 37321-7000. Periodical class postage
paid at Dayton, Tennessee, and at additional mailing
POSTMASTERS: Send form 3579 to Bryan Life, P.O.
Box 7000, Dayton, Tennessee 37321-7000. Printed in
USA.
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A letter from the
res?
^££f For just as the heavens are higher than the
JBI earf/z, so My zrays are higher than your
2 . \ ways and My thoughts higher than your
thoughts (Isa 55:9).
How like our God to manifest Himself in ways most
improbable to our human minds. Incredibly during this time
of economic turmoil and anxiety in our nation and world, a Bryan alumnus
pledged a million-dollar gift for our new entrance! How we thank the Lord for
His goodness, for providing for the college in His time, and for the opportunity
to praise His name and acknowledge His ways.
During Homecoming, Brett Landes, '82, pledged his gift so we may begin
constructing off U.S. Highway 27 a new main entrance and road that will open
the west and north sides of campus. The new entrance is the catalyst that will
launch Vision 2020 — what we believe God wants Bryan College to be in the
year 2020 — and will open a new chapter in Bryan's storied history.
We desire to faithfully live out our mission of preparing students to make
a difference in the places to which God calls them. To achieve that mission,
Bryan must continue to make great strides as a leader in Christian higher
education. Vision 2020 initiatives will broaden Bryan's regional and national
recognition and will open the door for our students to live out the dream of our
namesake William Jennings Bryan.
Vision 2020 honors and builds on the effective life and work of Mr. Bryan.
This great American statesman embodied what it means to achieve excellence in
his chosen profession and to faithfully effect change in our nation. He exuded
a confidence in the rightness of his cause because he saw our world through
the eyes of his Savior, and he devoted his life to the calling given him by his
Creator.
Likewise, whether it is through symposia this spring on the influence of
Charles Darwin and the scourge of human trafficking or through our MBA
program or our new WJB Center for Law and Public Policy, our college is
committed to preparing and sending out students who will change their world
for God's glory
Vision 2020 brings a new entrance, a new chapter in Bryan's history, and an
unparalleled opportunity to show the love of Christ to a world desperately in
need of a Savior. As you read in this issue about what is happening at Bryan,
may you be challenged to earnestly pray that our ways and our thoughts will be
those of our Savior and that you will be motivated to give financially towards
making Vision 2020 a reality.
Stephen D. Livesay
President
Stephen D. Livesay
Editor
Tom Davis, '06H
Designer
Dean Bell
Director of
Advancement
Steve Keck
Director of
Development/
Planned Giving
Jim Barth, '57
Director of Alumni
Relations
David
Tromanhauser, '80
Database & Office
Manager
Advancement Assistant
Tracey Bridwell
Office Assistant and
Event Planner
Paulakay Franks, '84
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A new emphasis, anchored in the
college's heritage, is driving Bryan's
long-range development plan
designed to position the institution
as a leader in Christian higher
education.
Vision 2020 is an ambitious
capital and programmatic blueprint
to see the college through the next
dozen years. Its goals include
increased enrollment, additional
programs and facilities, and
financial stability to ensure Bryan
maintains its ability to "educate
students to become servants of Christ
to make a difference in today's world.
"Bryan College alumni have a rich
heritage of influencing our world
for Christ, just as did our namesake
William Jennings Bryan/' President
Stephen Livesay said. "Bryan was
just 31 years old when he was elected
to Congress, and was just 36 when
he first ran for the presidency. Bryan
College has seen wonderfully gifted
young men and women pass through
our halls, people who through many
vocations are making a kingdom
difference around the world. I believe
we need to expand the opportunities—
and the capacity — to offer this same
Christ-centered education, built on
excellence, to more students in the
coming years.
Vision 2020 sets "brick and mortar"
goals, the first of which is a new
Bryan College alumni
have a rich heritage of
influencing our world
for Christ...
entrance from U.S. Highway 27 due
to be completed by Homecoming
2009. But the driving force behind the
facilities is the expanded opportunities
to be offered to students.
"If we are going to realize our
mission to make a significant difference
in our world, we must have the
finances and facilities to develop
leading programs and provide unique
educational opportunities," Dr. Livesay
said. "We can be leaders in Christian
higher education; we can realize the
vision Mr. Bryan had in a significant
way."
One of the critical goals is to increase
enrollment to 1,200 traditional and 600
graduate and non- traditional students.
"We believe 1,200 traditional
students is the optimum number
needed to continue to attract highly
motivated students, offer a challenging
curriculum, and maintain the close
student-faculty relationships
that are a hallmark of the
Bryan experience. This number,
enhanced by an increased
endowment, will offer the
financial stability necessary for the
college's long-term strength and
prosperity," Dr. Livesay said.
A focal point of Vision 2020
is the Bryan Institute (formerly
Bryan Center) for Critical Thought and
Practice. This umbrella organization
will coordinate efforts of the Center
for Origins Research (CORE), the
Center for Leadership Studies, the
Center for Worldview Studies, The
William Jennings Bryan Center for
Law and Public Policy, and the Center
for International Development as well
as affiliates Summit Ministries and
Passing the Baton International. "We
believe this will multiply students'
opportunities for study, research,
internships that include experience in
other cultures, and the opportunity
to be engaged in the creation and
debate of public policy," Dr. Livesay
said. The plan is focused on providing
opportunities for students and
increasing the college's visibility in the
community and around the world.
Major facility enhancements include
the new entrance (see related
story), a performing arts center,
an athletics /convention center,
an administration building,
the William Jennings Bryan
Center, the CORE museum
and research center, residence
halls, expansion of Rudd
Auditorium, completion of
Mercer Hall, and renovations
to Latimer Student Center.
"These facilities will
Christ Above All
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enable us to house programs and provide opportunities
for our students to truly make a difference regionally and
nationally" Dr. Livesay said.
"Plans are to use the performing arts center for the
debate team, musical performances including recitals,
and theatrical performances. The William Jennings Bryan
Center will provide the physical setting to study the life
of Mr. Bryan and to do research on his contribution to the
political and social culture of our nation. The Center and its
outstanding faculty will provide opportunities for students
to be involved in internships, research, and joining with
other centers and institutes to influence governmental
policies in such a way as to honor the teachings of Christ."
Dr. Livesay emphasized that Vision 2020, while
expectantly focused on the future and new opportunities, is
firmly rooted in Bryan's heritage.
"William Jennings Bryan was an extraordinary
individual," he said. "He had a firm Christian faith
which informed his political positions, strengthened him
for struggles against seemingly overwhelming odds,
and comforted him when things did not turn out as he
had hoped. He communicated complex issues in an
understandable manner and persevered when his positions
were not adopted immediately.
"When you look at his life, you see that he was a man of
many interests. He worked tirelessly in the areas of biblical
Christianity, government, politics, finance, communication,
origins, education, international relations, consumer
protection, and labor reform. Compare these to areas of
study offered at Bryan College, and it is apparent that we
have many programs that are in harmony with Mr. Bryan's
concerns.
"Vision 2020 is building on our distinctives and honors
our namesake. Our programs and opportunities for
our students recognize the significant contributions Mr.
Bryan made to American life. These programs provide
a framework to prepare students for lives of service that
demonstrate, like Mr. Bryan did, what it looks like for
Christians to engage their culture."
New Entrance Timeline
February 2002 ~ ARCADIS begins work on the conceptual
plans and traffic study for the proposed new entrance.
Spring 2002 _ ARCADIS and representatives from Bryan
College/City of Dayton meet with the Tennessee
Department of Transportation (TDOT) commissioner to
request entrance access to U.S. 2 7.
Summer 2002 - TDOT denies access to U.S. 27 on basis
that TDOT cannot allow cutting of 'no-access' right-of-way
(ROW) fence on U.S. 27.
August 2003 - New TDOT commissioner approves
proposed entrance connection to U.S. 27 with requirement
that the intersection of Richland Street and U.S. 27 is closed
and the 'no-access' ROW fence is extended across the
former intersection.
January 2004 _ ARCADIS begins field surveying and
development of preliminary entrance road design plans.
* May 2004 - ARCADIS submits land-use application to the
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), requesting easement for
entrance road to cross TVA-owned property adjacent to
U.S. 27.
Fall 2004 - TVA Board grants easement to Bryan College/
City of Dayton for crossing TVA-owned property.
* Winter 2004 - ARCADIS begins completion of final
construction plans for entrance road.
February 2006 - Final construction plans submitted to
TDOT for review and approval. TDOT provides comments
and requested revisions.
Spring 2006 - Bryan College puts entrance project on hold
pending available funding.
October 2008 - Bryan College receives donation from
alumnus to fund proposed entrance.
* October 2008 - ARCADIS begins work to address TDOT
comments and finalize plans.
Phase I of Entrance Road project scheduled to begin
in February 2009.
Christ Above All
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Two Phases of Construction
Groundbreaking for the first phase of Bryan's new
entrance from U.S. 27 is planned for early February,
President Dr. Stephen D. Livesay has announced.
The first phase of construction will build the physical
intersection with the state highway and provide the link to
Richland Street, which runs at the base of Bryan Hill. The
January ceremony will be a community celebration featuring
local and state officials. A second groundbreaking, for the
portion between Richland Street and campus, is planned
for April, and will be focused on students and college
personnel.
Although the entrance has been a priority for some time,
college officials decided not to begin construction until funds
were in hand. Fund-raising efforts have been enhanced
this year, but the decision to proceed came in October after
alumnus Brett Landes, '82, pledged $1 million for the project
during his visit to campus for homecoming.
Additional funds raised through the alumni Lions project
will be used to provide landscaping and other amenities
along the half-mile drive.
Dayton City Manager Frank Welch reminded city council
members during their November meeting that as part of the
agreement with the Tennessee Department of Transportation
approving the entrance, the city will close the U.S. 27
intersection with Richland Street, about a half mile north of
the new entrance. Richland Street will be improved between
Richland Street and the new entrance, and the new road will
be the new access point replacing the one to be closed.
Construction of the second phase of the project will begin
after graduation in May and is to be completed in time for
a dedication service during Homecoming 2009. Dr. Livesay
explained that so much dirt will be moved from the hill
north of the soccer field
to the new roadway
that normal campus
activities, as well as
student parking,
would be disrupted
if work were to be
carried out during the
school year.
The second
groundbreaking will
be held April 17, 2009,
when former presidential
speechwriter Michael
Gerson visits Bryan
for a lecture at the
William Jennings Bryan
Opportunity Program
dinner.
Christ Above All 4
bryan.edu
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MBA atBryah
On Dec. 19, the second cohort of
Master's of Business Administration
students received their degrees during
Bryan's winter commencement.
For the students, graduation was the
culmination of an 18-month journey
that challenged and equipped them to
take increasingly responsible leader-
ship positions in business and industry.
For the college, this second gradua-
tion — together with strong enrollment
and interest in the program — was a
reaffirmation that a three-year process
to initiate the degree was worth the
effort.
Beginning as a dream of President
Livesay initiating a Master's degree
was included in Bryan's strategic plan
for 2004.
"The strategic plan calls for 1,200
traditional students and 600 adult stu-
dents," Dean of Adult Studies Dr. Bob
Andrews said. "To do that, we need
three Master's programs plus Aspire,
the degree completion program."
More than simply adding numbers,
a Master's of Business Administration
program adds status and visibility
to the college in addition to offering
graduates to the community with both
skills and an appreciation for ethics
that many see are so needed in today's
business world.
"We wanted to enhance the status
of the institution," Dr.
Andrews said. "The
MBA put us on the
map in Chattanooga
in places we've never
been. We are recruit-
ing students from
major industries and
businesses in Chatta-
nooga."
Graduates value
the education they
received. For some,
like Ted Draper, a
member of the first
MBA cohort, the
degree opened the
possibility of moving
into a senior adminis-
trative position with
a mission-sending
organization in Kansas City, Mo. For
others, like Marilyn Cheney, executive
director of patient financial services for
a hospital system in Chattanooga, the
MBA offered the opportunity to grow
as a leader.
Getting to the point of accepting
students into the program was almost
a full-time job for Dr. Andrews and
Dr. Ken Froemke, Bryan's accredita-
tion liaison with the Commission on
Colleges of the Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools.
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Christ Above All
"From fall of 2004 to March 2005, we
put the proposal through the academic
cycle," Dr. Andrews explained. Ap-
proval by the Bryan faculty passed the
project into the hands of the Southern
Association. Bryan was required to
submit a detailed summary of the
program, courses, and faculty qualifi-
cations.
"The Southern Association has
about 75 principles of accredita-
tion Bryan must meet for its general
accreditation, but for the graduate
program we had to address only 21 of
those," Dr. Froemke said. "We had to
narrate and document how we are in
compliance with those principles. For
example, how is this program support-
ed by the college mission statement?
Are there enough full-time faculty with
the right credentials to support the new
program?" Once the program was ap-
proved in December 2005, the college
began recruiting students to begin class
in September 2006.
The start of classes, however, didn't
complete the accreditation process. A
team of professors and administrators
representing the Southern Association
came to Chattanooga, where the MBA
program is headquartered, in February
yan.edu
2007, to complete an on-site evaluation.
Dr. Froemke remembers the visiting
team surprised Bryan officials by com-
pleting their work early.
"It was planned for a three-day
evaluation, but they left after the first
day, satisfied that we had met the
criteria, " he said. "Bob (Andrews) and
I were sitting at a basketball game
after the first day of the visit when Ray
Smith (Dr. Ray Smith, then-director of
the program) text messaged Bob saying
the committee wanted to meet with
Dr. Livesay and us the next morning,
that they were leaving. We thought
they were going to tell us something
was wrong and there was no need to
go further. Instead, they told us we had
documented everything sufficiently,
that they didn't need to see anything
else, and they had only two recommen-
dations about faculty credentials and
assessment.
"I've been through three site visits
at Bryan and on three visiting teams
and I've never see anything like that
before."
The college learned in December
that the Southern Association has fully
approved the MBA program.
"That means we will not have to
schedule another site visit until 2014,"
Dr. Froemke said.
Business with a hiblical worldview
Ted 'Draper
_
A solid foundation with some professional "stretching" in
Bryan's MBA program gave Ted Draper the tools needed to
accomplish professional goals that otherwise seemed out of
reach.
Mr. Draper, one of the first MBA graduates, serves as
director of public relations and media for Avant Ministries,
a non-denominational international missions agency in
Kansas City, Mo. Although he had an undergraduate degree
emphasizing public relations, he said he realized he needed
more business education to move into areas he desired.
"I spent the two years before starting the MBA in China,"
he said. "I realized to be globally competitive I needed
an MBA. I debated taking an MBA and seminary courses
because I wanted to fuse my faith with business. Bryan's
program combined a biblical worldview with business,
which was what I wanted."
He and his wife returned from China at the end of May;
he started a job at Covenant Transport, a Chattanooga
trucking company, as a marketing analyst in June; his first
daughter was born in July, and he began the MBA program
in August. "It was a crazy schedule," he said. "But once I
started the program, I enjoyed the fact that there was a defi-
nite end in sight. I knew I could schedule around things and
not take five years to complete. I was with the same group of
people instead of changing classes, so that was more like a
work environment."
The non-traditional weekend class meetings made the
program convenient. "The schedule was great. I could be
home in the evenings and could schedule my Saturdays. It
didn't interfere with work; I wasn't trying to leave work,
fighting traffic to get to class, and getting home late. Meet-
ing every other Saturday allowed me to easily schedule my
professional workload, educational workload, and time for
other things."
He found some classes he enjoyed more than others, but
faced the less favorite sessions with the attitude that "what
you put into a project is what you get out of it. I was attend-
ing to gain knowledge in an area that I was not proficient.
As I sat through classes on something I didn't understand, I
knew I would need the information."
Mr. Draper said he appreciated the fact that there were
no surprises once the program began. "When you go to
orientation you get a schedule; you know you're going into
an MBA program to be pushed. Being challenged is part of
an advanced degree. With the calendar and course work laid
out in front of me, I didn't feel like there were any surprises.
They seemed so very up front about everything," he said.
His Master's degree helped open the door to his present
job with Avant Ministries, as the mission preferred the new
director hold an MBA.
"I couldn't say enough good things about the program,"
he said. "There is a solid biblical foundation. That's some-
thing Bryan does very well at the undergraduate and gradu-
ate level. They're not going to push you in a certain way, but
they will challenge you to examine the ramifications of a
decision."
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Bryan hdys oym doors
Opening new possibilities is one of the benefits Marilyn
Chaney found in completing her MBA at Bryan College.
In addition to her MBA, Mrs. Chaney completed her
Bachelor's degree through Bryan's Aspire program, a move
that led directly to her graduate studies. "Dr. (Bob) Andrews
was developing the MBA program while I was in his Aspire
class/ 7 she explained. "I told him I wanted to be in the first
MBA class."
Finishing her undergraduate degree completed years of
part-time schooling as she worked in the health care indus-
try. In 1998, she returned to Chattanooga from Knoxville
to work with Parkridge Health System. In 2001, she began
working with Memorial Health Care System, and serves to-
day as executive director of patient financial services. "After
I came to Memorial and got things settled, I felt it was time
to go back to school," she said.
To that point in her career, she had been able to advance
in responsibilities because of her experience and proven
abilities. "A few years ago, Memorial was hiring an execu-
tive level position, and we had what I thought was the per-
fect candidate," she said. "This position preferred a Masters
degree, but at a minimum required a Bachelor's degree. The
light came on for me, that I could be held back without a
degree."
That revelation spurred her on to earn her undergraduate
degree, and later to enter the MBA program.
Going to school while working is "a big commitment, but
it's not impossible," she said. "My whole life is very orga-
nized; I did not do anything that was not planned. I would
go to work, come home and study. My mother lives several
hours away, and I would schedule visits on weekends when
we didn't have class. I'd read on the way, while my husband
drove."
Both the Aspire and MBA programs were stretching ex-
periences for her, but Mrs. Chaney said the experience was
valuable. "The hardest part of Aspire and the MBA for me
was the group projects. It was hard to rely on other people to
accomplish a goal. Personally, I'd rather do it all myself, but
in the real world you have to work with other people. That
was one of the most valuable lessons, to work with other
people, to try other approaches to get things done."
One benefit was somewhat unexpected. "During a recent
performance review, my leader said that my experience, fin-
ishing my education and going through the MBA program
has helped me grow as a leader."
Mrs. Chaney is a firm believer in the Bryan MBA pro-
gram, and uses her experience in both the MBA and Aspire
programs to encourage friends to complete their education.
And her experience has whetted her appetite for more.
"Taking the MBA started out almost as a joke, but now
I'm thinking about a Ph.D. The only problem is that there
are no schools around here that focus on what I want, and I
really don't want to relocate."
MBA Timeline
Late 2003 - Idea for the MBA program
originates
Spring 2004 - Faculty begins designing
program, courses, standards, etc.
Spring 2005 _ Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools notified of plans for
the MBA
Spring 2005 - Dr. Ray Smith, first MBA
director, hired
December 2005 - SACS approves the MBA
September 2006 - First MBA class enrolls
February 2007 - SACS site visit to review
accreditation
For more information about the MBA program, including enrollment requirements and
deadlines, contact Adina Scruggs at adina.scruggs@bryan.edu or 423-634-1 114.
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Uv and Away!
Students in Dr. Stephen Barnett' s
weather studies class traded the
warmth of a lab for the cold, rainy
outdoors in mid-November to gain
hands-on experience with atmospheric
observations.
Dr. Barnett said the class launched
a high-altitude research balloon to
take a variety of measurements and to
capture video images as it ascended
to some 85,000 feet and traveled more
than 130 miles before landing in a
remote area in Southwest Virginia, 35
miles northwest of Kingsport, Tenn.
Wind speeds in excess of 175 mph were
recorded by instruments in the bal-
loon's data pods.
'This was part of a National Science
Foundation (NSF) initiative to increase
interest in science, technology, engi-
neering, and mathematics/' he said.
"The students, who are not science ma-
jors, were learning the whole scientific
process, forming a hypothesis, design-
ing and performing an experiment,
then interpreting the data."
Sophomore communication studies
major Josh Davis said the project did
pique his interest in science, at least
weather science, but said Dr. Barnett's
enthusiasm is even more infectious.
"His presentation does something for
me," he said. "The balloon experiment
showed me a usable aspect of taking
science and making it ours. Ordinarily
I have little interest in studying humid-
ity in the atmosphere. But getting to
see it in action was very cool. If I'm free
next semester, I want to do it again."
Dr. Barnett was invited to par-
ticipate in the project beginning with
a workshop this past summer at
Taylor University. Taylor also sent two
researchers from their educational
psychology department to evaluate the
effectiveness of the ballooning project
in science education.
Conditions deteriorated the day of
the launch, in more ways than one.
"Our predictive tracking software
crashed, so we had to work from what
was predicted the day before," Dr.
Barnett explained. Because they did
not have current data, the landing site
was more than 50 miles away from the
predicted point. "We had such thick
clouds and turbulence that the track-
ing equipment lost contact with the
balloon several times. The winds were
so strong aloft that one instrument
pod was destroyed. That had never
happened in scores of launches that the
Taylor group had been involved in."
Kesse Robinson, a sophomore Eng-
lish/education major, said she learned
something of a life lesson, not just
science, because of the experiment. "I
learned that preparing ahead of time,
especially for mistakes, is essential, and
that when something goes wrong, hav-
ing a bad attitude won't help, while a
good attitude makes the whole project
fun."
The science department "invested a
substantial sum in equipment," buying
cameras, radios, and meteorological
instruments which — except for those
unexpectedly lost — can be reused in
subsequent experiments. "It's like rock-
et science, only cheaper," Dr. Barnett
said. In addition to the initial invest-
ment, each launch costs between $300
and $400, with most of the expense for
helium and the balloon, which bursts
at the peak of its ascent.
In the spring, Bryan students expect
to participate in HALO-2, a collab-
orative high-altitude research project,
with several universities across the
United States. Multiple balloons will
be launched simultaneously to test
prototype emergency communication
networks and to sample the uppermost
atmosphere over a very wide area.
Christ Above All
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In it for the long haul
The "long haul" for a college education has a different
meaning for a member of Bryan's December graduating
class - thousands of miles different.
Chris Young, a psychology major from Campaign,
Tenn., near McMinnville, has spent the past seven semes-
ters driving 75 miles one way to class, almost every day,
to earn his degree.
"He's responsible," said Dr. Steve Bradshaw, professor
of psychology. "Students on campus often roll out of the
dorm and get to class late. He usually is here before me.
"He has been a really good student and has done really
well. He scored the highest on the Educational Testing
Service competency exam this year."
In addition to the miles, it took Chris several more
years than usual to earn the B.A. in Psychology degree.
After graduating from high school, he went to work in a
factory and took an occasional college class along the way.
He also married and became the father of two daughters.
"I had a good job, with good pay and benefits, but the
factory closed," he explained. "Part of the severance package
was that they would pay for tuition and books for people
who wanted to go to school. This was an opportunity for me
to do something I'd always wanted to do."
Since he graduated from high school in 1988, he had
worked as a youth minister in churches in his community
and developed a concern for youth in crisis situations.
"I live only 25 minutes from Tennessee Tech, but I wanted
to go to a Christian school," he said. "I wanted Christian
integration with my major, and I wanted a minor in Bible. I
was interested in Bryan because of the Christian influence
and the motto 'Christ Above All/"
Despite the fact that few "non-traditional" students like
him enroll in the traditional program, "it has been a really
good experience," he said. "The adjustment wasn't easy; I
hadn't been a great student in high school, but I loved this. I
love to learn."
In addition to the academic challenge, his family had to
make some adjustments as well. "Being a dad, husband, and
full-time student has been hard for the family," he said. "It
has been a struggle for our youngest daughter because Dad
hasn't been as attentive or available as he used to be."
There were financial challenges as well. "Our intention
was for me to work, but that didn't last long. I couldn't do
a real job and this," he said. "My wife works as a registered
nurse in Murfreesboro, and I've worked summer jobs. We've
been conservative with our money over the years, so we
knew we could survive on what my wife makes."
Christ Above All
With graduation behind him, Chris is ready to get back
into the workforce, but more education remains a goal. "I'm
looking at a number of companies," he said. "One of them
will help with graduate school. That's my goal."
With his goal to counsel troubled teens, he said more
education is needed, but the goal is within reach. "He cer-
tainly has a burden for that," Dr. Bradshaw said. "I think he
could do a lot of good modeling what it means to be a man,
particularly for boys."
And if his persistence over the past seven semesters is any
indication, the next part of Chris's educational journey won't
be quite as long as the one he has just completed.
Happy 1 00th,
Coach!
Coach Leo Sayles earned his 100th win at Bryan
College Nov. 15, with a 3-0 victory over Montreat
during the Appalachian Athletic Conference
tournament. Coach Sayles has been at Bryan five
years and has compiled a 100-79 record.
"Coach Sayles has done a marvelous job on and
off the court," Athletics Director Dr. Sandy Zensen
said. "He has developed a well-respected and
highly competitive program, making a commitment
to excellence the standard for the entire athletic
department here at Bryan College."
Sayles' teams have reached the conference
semifinals for three straight years, and finished
second last year. In 2006, Coach Sayles received
the 2006 AAC Coach of the Year honor. In 2007,
the Lady Lions advanced to the NCCAA national
championships.
Bryan Pianists Sweey Competition
Bryan piano students swept top honors during the fall
Tennessee Music Teachers Association state competition in
Nashville.
Kimberly McKennett, a junior piano pedagogy major
from Port Alworth, Alaska, won the competition. A year ago,
she received honorable mention in the contest.
Natalie McGehee, a sophomore piano pedagogy major
from Rustin, La., was runner-up, and her sister, Brittany, a
senior piano pedagogy major, earned honorable mention.
Also competing was Molly Gehring, a senior piano
pedagogy major from Marietta, Ga., who received a superior
rating.
All four competitors from Bryan qualified for the
state competition by receiving superior ratings at the
local competition last spring in Chattanooga. The local
competition was run by the Chattanooga Music Teachers
Association, an affiliate of TMTA. The state competition
was held at Tennessee State University in Nashville, and
included 10 finalists from colleges and universities across the
state.
Pictured from left are Molly Gehring, Brittany McGehee,
Natalie McGehee, and Kimberly McKennett.
Christ Above All
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Pettus Establishes Scholarship
A new scholarship will honor the donors' parents and
help minority students attend Bryan, President Stephen
Livesay has announced.
Robert and Marilyn Pettus of Charlotte, N.C., have cre-
ated the Robert D. and Nellie J. Pettus /E.C. and Mary T.
Holiday Scholarship in honor of their parents. The scholar-
ship is designed to assist students who are Native American
or bi-racial to attend Bryan. Mr. Pettus is a member of the
Class of 1967.
In announcing the gift, Dr. Livesay said, "Someone made
it possible for Bob to come to Bryan. Now it has come full
circle/ 7
Mr. Pettus told students during a chapel service in
October that he had not planned to attend college. However,
former Bryan trustee Mark Senter, Jr., offered a half -tuition
scholarship, which "my father 'encouraged' me to accept.
Bryan has meant a great deal to me. I hope you understand
and appreciate what you have here."
Mr. Pettus is retired executive vice president of Coca-Cola
Consolidated in Charlotte, N.C., and former vice chairman
f !
•
of the company's board of directors. He remains active
in many ministries in the Charlotte area and is a featured
speaker to many business men's groups throughout the
country.
A Gift from La-Z-Boy
President Livesay, left, accepts a check from La-Z-Boy Tennessee Vice
President Darrell Edwards as La-Z-Boy Human Resources Director
Janet Earnhardt looks on. The La-Z-Boy Foundation made the gift to
cover the cost of furniture for the Spiritual Formation Department on
the third floor of the Latimer Student Center.
Human Trafficking Conference
J2SF-
Bryan College students will
move beyond information to ac-
tive responses to the scourge of
human trafficking as they present
their third conference on the prob-
lem Jan. 23-25, 2009.
Dr. Ron Petitte, director of the
Center for International Leader-
ship and faculty advisor for the conference, said the focus
this year is reflected in the title: "Criminal Justice Response
to Human Trafficking."
"Journalist Christine Dolan has been here twice and our
students have been briefed extensively on the problem; the
facts are readily available," he said. "There are some very
pragmatic street-level responses to this problem, and that's
what the conference will address this time."
Representatives from the U.S. State Department and
Department of Justice, Great Britain's Scotland Yard, and
International Justice Mission have been invited to partici-
pate. "This is an international problem," Dr. Petitte said.
"There is a problem in the U.S., but it is magnified beyond
our borders."
Tentative plans call for the State Department representa-
tive to speak on Friday, with other representatives to speak
at plenary sessions on Saturday and a chapel service on
Sunday. Bryan students who have researched aspects of the
problem will lead break-out sessions on Saturday, as well as
late-night prayer services during the conference.
"If students feel passionately enough about this issue,
there are agencies into which they can inject their energies,"
Dr. Petitte said. "There is training needed in many cases be-
cause you can't just step up to a street corner and do battle;
you could lose your life very quickly. This conference is
designed to help students understand areas where they can
become involved and become familiar with what they need
to do to fight this good fight."
Christ Above All
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Tk
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jennmgs&ryan
// T wish for a college that would present Christ first."
I William Jennings Bryan had a long list of wishes,
many of which, like his dream of a college
dedicated to honoring Christ above all, did not come to
fruition until after his death. But his accomplishments and
influence on American life in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries earned Bryan a ranking among the most influential
individuals in American history.
Michael Kazin, author of the 2006 biography A Godly
Hero: The Life of William Jennings Bryan, offers this summation
of Bryan's place in American life:
His record was impressive, particularly for someone who
held no office during most of his career. Starting with the
campaign of 1896, the Democrats ceased being the more
conservative of the two major parties — with the fateful
exception of their support for Jim Crow. Bryan was the
leading proponent of three constitutional amendments —
for the income tax, the popular election of senators, and
prohibition. He also did much to place on the national
agenda a variety of other significant reforms: insured
bank deposits, government-owned railroads, publicly
financed campaigns, and a reliable method for preventing
war. None of these became law during his lifetime — he
had better luck with statewide curbs on the teaching of
Darwinism. But it was certainly not for lack of promotion
or resolve. "With the exception of the men who have
occupied the White House," wrote William Gibbs
McAdoo in 1931, "Bryan. . .had more to do with the
shaping of the public policies of the last forty years than
any other American citizen" (Kazin 304).
Underlying and compelling his progressive spirit was
a deep faith in Christ and a belief in the ability of ordinary
men and women to choose what is best for the nation. In his
autobiography, completed after his death by his wife Mary,
Bryan said, "At the age of fourteen I became a member of
the Church, as the result of a spiritual awakening that took
place in the little town in which I was born. It has had more
influence in my life for good than any other experience,
and I have been increasingly grateful for the circumstances
that led me to take a stand on religion before I left home for
college" (Bryan 11).
It is equally apparent that Bryan, born in rural Salem,
111., March 19, 1860, propounded values inherited from his
parents, Silas and Mariah Jennings Bryan. Paul W Glad,
who edited William Jennings Bryan: A Profile, said:
The values he struggled to
uphold were values derived
from the milieu of his youth.
From his parents he received
training in the evangelical
Protestantism that was to
shape much of his political
thinking, and from them
he first imbibed
the moralist
characteristic
of nineteenth-
century America. Attaining prominence in an era when
most of the American population was rural, the
Commoner always assumed that his values were those of
the majority. He never doubted that he could trust the
people to being about change consistent with the moral
and religious convictions he regarded as eternal verities —
provided, of course, that the people were left free and
unintimidated (Glad viii).
Little wonder, then, that he was called the Great
Commoner.
But simply championing causes is not enough to ensure
greatness. Bryan had the ability to present complex issues
in easily understood language and encourage individuals to
join him in fighting for a principle: "That is a quality absent
among our recent leaders, for all their promise to leave no
man, woman, or child behind. Bryan's sincerity, warmth,
and passion for a better world won the hearts of people who
cared for no other public figure in his day" (Kazin 306).
By the time he was elected to Congress in 1891, Bryan
had begun to mature as a public speaker, impressing both
political friends and foes alike with his abilities. Five years
later he delivered what has been called "the most dramatic
address in American political history" (Cornelius 9), "The
Cross of Gold," at the Democratic National Convention
in Chicago. The next day, he received the first of three
nominations for president.
But by his own words, Bryan was more interested in
"religious" topics. In "The Prince of Peace," he said:
I offer no apology for writing upon a religious theme, for
it is the most universal of all themes. I am interested
in the science of government, but I am more interested in
religion than in government. I feel sure of my ground
when I make a political speech, but I feel even more
Christ Above All
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certain of my ground when I make a religious speech.
Government affects but a part of the life which we live
here and does not deal at all with the life beyond, while
religion touches the infinite circle of existence as well as
the small arc of that circle which we spend on earth. No
greater theme, therefore, can engage our attention.
Michael Kazin observes of Bryan's activity on the
Chautauqua circuit:
Beginning in 1904 [the year Bryan wrote "The Prince of
Peace], he spent the better part of twenty summers as
the star attraction on the week-long programs that
edified, titillated, and amused millions of Americans who
seldom had access to a big-city theater or lecture hall. His
appeal was extraordinary for both its zeal and its
longevity. One entrepreneur testified that Bryan was good
for "forty acres of parked Fords, anywhere, at any time of
the day or night."
In his essay "Bryan: The Progressive, Part I," John A.
Garraty writes that Bryan was comfortable mixing religion
and politics because "[t]he premise from which Bryan
argued was that social problems are essentially moral — that
is to say, religious." He continues, "It was inconceivable that
the hardworking, Bible-reading citizenry should be inferior
in moral insight to the cynical financiers of the Eastern cities.
Because they were, as Bryan saw it, better people, they were
better moralists, and hence better economists."
Paul Glad concludes his introduction to essays profiling
Bryan, including Garraty 7 s cited above, in these words:
On the whole, then, the essays reveal the limitations of
nineteenth-century agrarianism in a twentieth-century
industrial society, but they do not denigrate the entire
world view that Bryan represented. There was, after all,
much of permanent value in that view: a recognition
of human rights; a faith in democracy that was the
positive side of a hatred of privilege; a conviction that
love and peace not only benefit society more than hatred
and war but are the surest avenues to liberty and justice
for all.
Bryan's death in Dayton on July 26, 1925, spurred
establishment of the William Jennings Bryan University
five years later as a memorial to the Great Commoner and
opened a field of inquiry into his life and contributions
that continues today. In future editions of Bryan Life, we
will examine some of the accomplishments of this most
significant of Americans.
For further study:
Bryan, William J., and Mary Baird Bryan. The Memoirs of
William Jennings Bryan. Chicago: The John C. Winston Co.,
1925.
Cornelius, R.M., ed. Selected Orations of William Jennings
Bryan: 75th Anniversary Edition. Dayton, Bryan College, 2000.
Glad, Paul W., ed. William Jennings Bryan: A Profile. New
York: Hill and Wang, 1969.
Kazin, Michael. A Godly Hero: The Life of William Jennings
Bryan. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006.
Olson, LaDonna Robinson. Legacy of Faith: The Story of Bryan
College. Hayesville, NC: Schoettle Publishing Co., Inc, 1995.
The Atlantic. December 2006.
i ^7/
f I ■# A
Christ Above All
13
w w w . b r y
bryan.edu
FacultM/Sta
Mr. Luke Hathaway has been
promoted from helpdesk technician
to I.T. Services computer technician.
Mr. Matt Meloncon, a 2008 computer
science graduate, has been hired as the
new helpdesk technician.
Mrs. Kim Keck passed her
comprehensive examinations in her
doctoral program in September.
Dr. Bill Ketchersid has had an
article published in Tennessee Historical
Quarterly (Summer 2008), titled
"Major Campbell Wallace: Southern
Railroad Leader."
Dr. Ray Legg presented a paper
at the 32nd annual Colloquium on
Literature and Film at West Virginia
University in September. His paper
was titled "Revisiting the Past:
Marginalization and Rejection in Two
Versions of Their Eyes Were Watching
God by Zora Neale Hurston."
Dr. David Luther presented choral
workshops in Charleston, S.C., in
August and in East Ridge, Tenn., in
September.
Dr. Sigrid Luther attended the
Tennessee Music Teachers Association
conference in June and the Dennis
Alexander Piano Workshop in
Chattanooga in August. She
performed as a guest left hand artist at
the World Piano Pedagogy conference
in Dallas, Texas, in October. Dr. Luther
also will be listed in the 2009 edition
of Who's Who in America.
Dr. Jeff Myers delivered a Passing
the Baton workshop in Warsaw,
Poland in September. In October,
he hosted a Wisdom Trek leader
development retreat in Rome, Ga.
He was the keynote speaker and
presented workshops at the annual
ACSI convention in Seattle, Wash., in
October.
Dr. Dwight Page is editor of the
Swiss- American Historical Review,
which is published three times a year,
and represented Bryan College at the
annual meeting of the Swiss-American
Historical Society in Philadelphia in
October. The Review will be published
jointly by Bryan, the Swiss- American
Historical Society, and the Embassy of
Switzerland in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Christian Pendergrass has
been hired as a general grounds and
fleet worker.
Dr. Drew Randle was the
commencement speaker at the Curtis
Baptist School graduation in Augusta,
Ga., in June. He and Dr. Scott Jones
taught several biblical foundation
sessions for a youth camp at Bryan,
and he preached at Grace Bible
Church in Dayton in July.
Mr. Earl Reed, Mr. James Sullivan,
and Mr. Luke Hathaway made
presentations at the Appalachian
College Association Summit XI in
Abingdon, Va., in October.
Dr. Roger Sanders and student
Jeremy Blaschke co-authored an
abstract and poster that Dr. Sanders
presented at Botany 2008, the
annual American and Canadian
botanical conference, in Vancouver,
British Columbia, in July. The
presentation was titled "The Origin
and Diversification of Scalesia (tree
sunflowers) in the Galapagos Islands."
Dr. Mel Wilhoit's article, "R.E.
Winsett Music Company: A Case
Study in Ma and Pa Publishing OR
The Growth of Grassroots Gospel,"
was published in the Festschrit
Hymnology in the Service of the
Church in Honor of Dr. Harry Eskew
(Morningstar Pub., 2008). He also sang
with the Chattanooga Symphony's
chorus in September when the
orchestra presented Beethoven's
Ninth Symphony.
The whole Christian Studies faculty
attended the national Evangelical
Theological Society meeting in
November in Providence, R.I. Faculty
members presented the following
academic papers: Dr. Jud Davis, "Acts
2 and the OT: The Pentecost Event in
Light of Sinai, Babel, and the Table
of Nations;" Dr. Doug Kennard,
"Instances of Covenant Nomism in
Second Temple Judaisms;" and Dr.
Ken Turner, "Moses on the New
Perspective: Does Deuteronomy Teach
Covenant Nomism?"
Christ Above All
14
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Kcmcmb
cmcmvenn
Sometimes Bryan seems 100 years ago and 10,000 miles
away - but every spring when the dogwood blooms, I go
back in my mind to that hilltop campus in the beautiful Ten-
nessee hills. To my good roommates, to Dr. Batson's classes
(only she was Miss Batson then), to my freshman year when
I met one of the loves of my life, and to all the excitement of
being away from home with very little money.
I ask myself what was the best thing for me at Bryan in
those days - and I still don't have an absolute answer. How
can I compare working as a waitress and a third-hour expe-
diter in the kitchen with studying for lit exams with Helen
Hillegas and then racing each other out of those exams? Or
going to my CSA class at Carp School out in the hills with
playing speedball on Monday afternoons? Or even walking
around the Triangle on Thursday evening date-night with
the fun of little group discussions in the dorm?
Bryan was many things to many people, and to me it
was a place of learning and loving; learning to use my time,
to prioritize my activities, to live with disappointment, to
formulate a philosophy of life, to realize that "Christ Above
By Audrey Mayer, '54
All" is more than just a college motto. Loving people from
all over the country who became good friends, loving those
lit classes that brought out the best in us as students, loving
to drop into bed at night after a too-long and too-busy day. . .
There were so many things to learn and so many to love.
I've visited Bryan as it is now - and it's moved onward
and upward in a wonderful way. But I don't regret that I
went there in the old days when the dining room meals were
family style, the young men shoveled coal into the furnace
that heated the admin /dorm building, we had a class-free
day to clean up the campus every fall, and there were hardly
10 student cars besides those at Trailerville.
I'm remembering Bryan - with a smile and gratitude to
the Lord, plus happy memories of a lot of people who were
there with me.
Christ Above All 15 www.brya nre d u
2008
mecommg
1. Alumni enjoyed
departmental reunions
during lunch in Brock Hall.
2. Monique Pierce
Cocanougherand Bill
Hilbrands greet each other
at the Class of 1983 25th
anniversary dinner.
4. Soccer teammates, from left, Skip Cline, '77; Jerry Cline, Luke Ger-
mann, and Mike Hathaway, all '78; and Brian Schrauger, '77, recon-
nect at the alumni awards dinner.
5. Soccer Coach Sandy Zensen, right, gives instruction to former
players John Jarvis, '02x, and Brian Eisenback, '02, before the alumni
soccer game.
6. Three alumni were honored at a book signing during registration
for Homecoming on Friday. Pictured, from left, are Rachel Newman,
daughter of Debi Bowles Newman, '83, co-author with her mother;
Dr. Newman; Jackie Griffin Perseghetti, '82; and Kari Ballentine, '91.
Christ Above All
16
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1. Tommy Anglea, '84, waits for the pitch during the home run
derby Friday night.
2. Members of the Lions' NCCAA District Championship baseball
team were recognized at the alumni awards banquet Saturday
night. From left are Kevin DeLaney, '84; Doug Meyers, '85; Tommy
Anglea, '84; and Rick Heasley, '83.
3. Doug Meyers, '85; Scott Hunt, '86; and Tommy Anglea, '84, enjoy
watching the alumni baseball game on Saturday.
4. Five-year classes gathered on Friday night for a meal in Brock
Hall, while the Class of 1983 held its 25th anniversary reunion
dinner in the library.
5. Dr. John Anderson, 73H, and his son, John D., '69, watch
as festivities get underway during My Big Fat Greet Luncheon
honoring Dr. Anderson's years of service to Bryan.
Christ Above All
17
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1. Rachel Crumpler Williams, left, and Brenda Nollmeyer
Pegg, right, both '98, introduce their children to each other
during the departmental luncheon on Saturday.
2. Eric McEachron and Kim Woody were crowned
Homecoming King and Queen during ceremonies at halftime
of the soccer game Saturday.
3. Matt Landes, '83, Bryan's all-time leader for assists in
basketball, was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame
during the alumni awards dinner Saturday.
4. David Willson, '90, a three-time NCCAA Ail-American
soccer player, was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame by
Dr. Sandy Zensen.
5. Maj. Gen. Mastin Robeson, '76, and Nancy Robeson,
'74, were named Alumni of the Year. Alumni Director
David Tromanhauser, right, made the presentation at Gen.
Robeson's office at Camp Lejeune.
Christ Above All
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1. Linda Jacobsen Roddy, '72, and Terryl
Roddy, '70x, fix their sundaes at the ballpark
Friday night.
2. Bryan Trustee Jerry Cline, '78; Brett Landes,
'82; Mike Smith, '82; and Matt Landes, '83,
pause for a picture during the alumni golf
tournament on Friday.
3. Alumni Director David Tromanhauser
presents Dr. Livesay a special medal and cap
from Alumnus of the Year Mastin Robeson
during the alumni awards dinner Saturday.
Gerson featured at WJB Opportunity hanquet
Michael Gerson, former speechwriter and assistant to
President George W. Bush, will be the featured speaker for
Bryan's second William Jennings Bryan Opportunity Pro-
gram dinner April 16, 2009.
Proceeds from the dinner support the William Jennings
Bryan Opportunity Program, which provides financial aid
to help deserving students from low-income families attend
Bryan College. Some 30 students are enrolled at the college
this year as a result of assistance through the program.
Steve Keck, director of advancement, said the dinner will
be held at the Chattanooga Choo-Choo beginning at 6 p.m.
College personnel are inviting interested persons to support
the program and the dinner. For information, contact Mr.
Keck at 423-775-7581.
Mr. Gerson, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign
Relations and columnist
for The Washington Post,
worked closely with
President Bush to prepare
speeches following the
events of Sept. 11, 2001,
and the unfolding War on
Terror. He is recognized
as one of the key intellec-
tual architects of the Bush
presidency, particularly
on issues of compassion-
ate conservatism at home
and the freedom agenda
abroad.
Christ Above All
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An invitation to a Christmas concert made a friend for
Bryan College, and Bryan has responded by providing an
investment that increased his retirement income.
Jude Thibault, who retired to Crossville, Tenn., nearly 20
years ago, has come to appreciate the Christian education
offered at Bryan, as well as the advantages of a charitable
gift annuity.
Mr. Thibault said a friend in Crossville, some 40 miles
from Dayton, invited him to a Christmas concert in 1990. He
accepted the offer and paid close attention as he visited the
campus. "I'm a pretty good observer/ 7 he said. "I look and
listen. What I saw I liked.
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"I observed the behavior of the students and the teachers,
how things were presented. That gave me the impression
that things were done well. It reflected the Christian teach-
ing I was brought up in."
Although he moved to Tennessee after retiring in Con-
necticut, he couldn't stay idle and opened a recreational
vehicle repair business in 1990. "I started as a 'shade tree'
mechanic, built a shop (near Interstate 40) and within a
month I had 15 RVs in the yard to repair," he said. The busi-
ness prospered until his wife, who also worked as office and
business manager, passed away in 1996.
Two years later his business was in debt and without
cash. "I laid off my shop manager, let people know I was
back managing the shop, and business picked up again. I
paid off the debt and December 1999, made an attempt to
retire and closed the shop."
But, again, retirement didn't "take" and Mr. Thibault
signed on as a truck driver for Averitt Express, driving cross
country for five years. "That was the best therapy for me. I
really enjoyed it, but it's a tough life." When he turned 69 in
February 2006, he determined to call it quits so he retired.
In 2006, he attended another Christmas concert at Bryan
and decided it was time to do more than just enjoy the
music.
Over the years, Planned Giving Director Jim Barth had
talked with Mr. Thibault about various estate planning op-
tions. "He had a commercial annuity," Mr. Barth explained,
"and we showed him how a charitable gift annuity could
increase his income, reduce his taxes, and benefit Bryan. He
liked that idea."
Mr. Thibault said at the appropriate time for him he
decided to convert his commercial annuity to a Bryan chari-
table gift annuity. "By taking out an annuity with Bryan, it
eventually benefits students, doing something to help them
get a Christian education and at the same time giving me a
deduction I can use to reduce my taxes as well as a good re-
turn. Many other annuities, when you pass on, the company
keeps the principal. Now when I go, the money will serve a
good cause. This helps young folk who otherwise may not
be able to have that opportunity to attend Bryan College."
For more information about charitable gift
annuities or other planned giving opportuni-
ties, contact Mr. Barth at barthji@bryan.edu
or call 423-775-7280.
Receive Bond-Like Security and
Equity-Like Returns
From a Bryan College
Charitable Gift Annuity
«^» • • ♦ • • «^»
Depending on your age and in exchange for a gift of cash or stock, you
can receive a fixed, guaranteed, partially tax-free, lifetime income stream in
addition to an immediate income tax deduction from a Bryan College gift
annuity
Consider the following
$10,000 cash example:
(Lower two-life rates are available)
Age
Annual
Income
Tax-Free
Portion
Charitable
Deduction
70 $700(7.0%) $515.59
75 $750 (7.5%) $534.75
80 $800 (8.0%) $606.40
85 $900 (9.0%) $740.70
90+ $1,100(11.0%) $873.43
$2,042
$3,585
$4,539
$5,258
$5,633
Secure Payments For Life
Gift Annuities = Fixed Payments At High Effective Rates!
Enjoy the benefits of a gift annuity now!
Jim Barth
Director of Estate Planning
72 1 Bryan Drive
Dayton, TN 37321
BarthJi@bryan.edu
www.BryanGift.org
For more information and a free proposal,
please call our Office of Estate Planning at
1-800-552-7926
Copyright © 2008 Bryan College
Jennifer and Bryan Waites
RON MORREN, '64, has been
awarded a Fulbright grant to teach
in the English as a Second Language
department of Bluefields Indian and
Caribbean University in Bluefields,
Nicaragua, beginning in February 2009.
For more than 30 years, Ron and his
wife, DIANE (PECK), '64x, have been
members of Wycliffe Bible Transla-
tors, working in the Philippines, Latin
America, and more recently on the
teaching staff in Dallas, Texas, in the
areas of literacy and education.
S9W
CHERYL, '84, and Greg RYLE, who
served with Missionary Maintenance
Services and Mission Aviation Fellow-
ship since 1985, resigned in August to
focus their ministry on their adopted
children Meghan and Talitha. The
Ryle family has relocated from Haiti to
Claymont, Del., where Greg will work
at the local airport in airplane main-
tenance and Cheryl will teach in the
preschool at their home church.
jj'j>'i>ffj>
's
MASON ELLENBERGER, '94x, has
been named general manager for LA
Tech Sports Properties, a Ruston, La.-
based firm which oversees all aspects
of a new 10-year partnership between
Louisiana Tech University and colle-
giate marketer Learfield Sports. Mason
and his wife, Wanda, and sons Hunter,
3, and James, 9, live in Ruston.
JOEL, '98, and Charity GONCE
announce the birth of their first child,
Naomi Grace, on Oct. 7. Naomi
weighed 7 lbs., 2 oz., and was 19 Vi
inches long, and arrived on her par-
ents' second wedding anniversary. The
Gonce family lives in Johnson City,
Tenn.
GREG and ASHLEY (MCDON-
ALD) SOVEREIGN, both '99, an-
nounce the birth of their third child,
Cole Thomas, on Sept. 29. Cole joins
big brother Caedmon, 7, and big sister
Abigail, 4. The Sovereigns live in Phila-
delphia, Pa., where Greg is a campus
minister with Coalition for Christian
Outreach at Arcadia University. Ashley
is a stay-at-home mom who hosts
weekly events for students.
TRAVIS, '01, and Canaan STE-
VENS announce the birth of their
daughter, Galilee, on July 1, 2007. Gali-
Caedmon, Abigail, and Cole Sovereign
Riley, Luke, and Galilee Stevens
Hayley and Cooper Delph
lee joins big brothers Riley, 5, and Luke,
3. The Stevens family lives in Elkton,
Fla., where Travis serves as associate
director of community at Good News
Church in St. Augustine.
LAURA (YATES), '01, and Rob
PROUT announce the birth of their
daughter, Roselyn Ann, on Sept. 7.
Roselyn weighed 8 lbs., 2 oz, and was
19 1/4 inches long. The Prouts live in
Newnan, Ga., where Laura is a stay-
at-home mom and a part-time aerobics
instructor. Rob is sales director for
inControl, Inc., an engineering firm in
Newnan.
JENNIFER MUSSELMAN, '01, and
Bryan Douglas Waites were married
Nov. 1, at Church of the Apostles in
Atlanta, Ga. Alumni in the wedding
party included JORDAN MUSSEL-
MAN, '05, and SUZI SCHMOYER,
'01. Alumni attending the wedding
included DR. DAVID LUTHER, '95H;
SARA BETH WADE, '99; KATIE
SPELL, '00; DONNA (SCHEIBE)
HOPSON, LESLIE COLE, ELIZA-
BETH MILLER, LAURA (YATES)
PROUT, MICHELLE (PHANEUF) and
NATE KROGEL, JUNE (LAYMON)
AKERS, and MICHELLE EDWARDS,
all '01; ADAM PARKER and RACHEL
(SCHMITT) MCCONNELL, both '02;
KIMMIE HILL, '03; HEIDI REW, '03x;
and LEILA (SMITH) GRANT, '05.
Bryan works as a senior IRA distribu-
tion specialist at Reliance Trust Co.,
and Jennifer is a litigation paralegal at
Bird, Loechl, Brittain & McCants, LLC.
The Waiteses live in Atlanta.
JOSEPH, '03, and AMBER (LANE),
'02, DELPH, have moved from Knox-
ville, Tenn., to Sebring, Fla., where Joe
is associate pastor of youth and activi-
ties at First Baptist Church. They wel-
comed son Michael "Cooper" Delph to
their family on March 6. Cooper joins
big sister Hayley 2 Vi .
ROBERT and PAULA (HEATH-
ERSHAW) KENDALL, both '02,
announce the birth of their daughter,
Abigail Faith, on June 10. Abigail joins
big brothers Ethan, 4, and Micah, 2.
The Kendalls live in Chesapeake Beach,
Md., where Robert is an associate
pastor. Paula is a stay-at-home mom.
TIM and BROOKE (WILSON)
SHOREY, both '03, announce the birth
of their son, Timothy Robert, on Aug.
14. Timothy weighed 7 lbs., 3 oz., and
was 19 inches long. The Shorey family
lives in Matawan, N.J.
BEN, '04, and Ariel NORQUIST,
announce the birth of their son, Henrik
(Henry) Joseph, on Sept. 22. Henrik
weighed 7 lbs., 5 oz., and was 21 inches
long. The Norquist family lives in
The Kendall family
The Shorey family
Henry and Christen Barrios
Dayton, Tenn., where Ben is assistant
director of spiritual formation at Bryan.
HENRY BARRIOS, '04, and
CHRISTEN CONRAD, '06, were mar-
ried July 14, 2007, in San Antonio, TX.
Bryan alumni in the wedding party
included HEATHER (DREILING)
RABOIN, ASHLEY (JOHNSON)
SMITH, JENNIFER (KUYKENDALL)
MAY, all '06; REBEKAH TOOLEY,
'08; JUSTIN FORGETTE, '06; MATT
LEFEVER and JORDAN MUSSEL-
MAN, '05; BEN CARVER, '03; JAMAL
MARSHALL and TAYLOR SMITH,
'04. The Barrioses live in Houston,
Texas, where Henry is a high school
teacher and Christen is an administra-
tive assistant at their church, Houston's
First Baptist Church. Henry recently
received his M.S. degree in Biologi-
cal Sciences from the University of
Houston.
PAMELA DAVIS, '05, read a paper
at the Medieval-Renaissance Confer-
ence XXII at the University of Virginia's
College at Wise in September. Her
paper, 'The Changing Vision of Value
in the Man of Law's Tale," considered
the redemptive implications of one of
Chaucer's tales. Pamela is pursuing a
Master's degree in English at the Uni-
versity of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
MICHAEL, '05, and CEREN
(CARPER), '06, STONE both earned
their Master's degree in instructional
leadership from Tennessee Techno-
logical University in August. Michael
Tommy and Christina Byrd
is a high school science teacher, head
basketball coach, and athletic director
at Hamilton Heights Christian Acad-
emy in Chattanooga, Tenn., and Ceren
is a kindergarten teacher at Battlefield
Primary in Catoosa County, Ga. The
Stones live in Chattanooga.
CHRISTINA BERRY, '07, and
Tommy Lee Byrd of Dayton, Tenn.,
were married Sept. 18. Christina works
at First Bank of Tennessee and Tommy
is a feature editor for Buckaroo Com-
munications in Dayton. The Byrds live
in Dayton.
RONNIE JONES, '07x, recently
completed U.S. Navy basic training
at Recruit Training Command, Great
Lakes, 111.
yjlftf /fy ^<s^^i
Correction
In the fall edition of Bryan Life
Charles Russell, '72, was
Rev. RALPH TOLIVER,
LILLIAN (BORGARD)
incorrectly identified as having
'37, of Lancaster, Pa., died
Sept. 28. He and his late
wife, REBECCA (HAE-
GER) TOLIVER, '38, were
PECK, '45, of Windermere,
Fla., died Sept. 11.
Rev. RANDALL MAY-
died. Mr. Russell's brother,
Thomas, '74, died June 9, and
incorrect information was relayed
Bryan's first foreign mis-
CUMBER, '52, of Okeecho-
to us that both brothers had
sionaries.
bee, Fla., died Aug. 2.
passed away We apologize to
CONSTANCE (PEN-
ICK) FORD, '40, of
JEROME HERMAN,
'62x, of Dent, Minn., died
the Russell families, and to their
friends, for the error.
Catlettsburg, Ky, died Aug.
16.
April 11.
Christ Above All 24 w
ww.bryan.edu
All right. I know. We have heard that word
constantly for the last year. I promise I will deal with it
quickly and let it go.
Regardless of our politics, there is no doubt things
will change! Change can be good. Some of us don't
like change. Some things need to change. Some things
we hope change for the better. Looking around the
Bryan campus, let's see what has changed, and what
has not.
First, the campus itself is going to change. In case
you have not heard, during Homecoming, Brett
Landes, '82, was impressed with Vision 2020, the
blueprint to Bryan's future growth, and donated $1
million toward the construction of the new entrance!
That gift will change the course and look of the
campus forever. (One thing that has NOT changed is
Brett's basketball ability. That man can still SHOOT!)
Already, plans are being finalized for construction
to begin. His generous gift has encouraged and
challenged other alums to give as well.
The new entrance will change the perception of the
college. It will greatly change the level of safety for
the students going up and down the Hill. Plan now
to be at next year's Homecoming when we officially
dedicate and open the new entrance. If you have
something else planned for October 3, 2009, change it!
The food has changed. According to the students I
talk to, it is much better than the past few years. If you
were here for Homecoming, I think you would agree.
The Handbook has changed — and keeps changing.
The Office of Student Life constantly evaluates it, and
adjusts it accordingly. My waistline and hairline keep
Christ Above All
Glyang
\U •••
changing. Dayton is changing; not much, but it is
changing!
So what has not changed? As I have mentioned
before, "Christ Above All" has not changed. It is still
our motto, still our guiding philosophy.
The striving for excellence has not changed. The
longer I am in this position, the more I realize that
God has uniquely blessed this place. The people He
has assembled here over the years have gone on to
accomplish great things in His name, all the while
remembering "Christ Above All."
Our spirited rivalry with Covenant has NOT
changed! (Neither has "creative officiating.") Dr.
Ketchersid, home cooking, and East Tennessee
have not changed. Love for our alma mater has not
changed. Seats at the Table of Fellowship of Bryan
College alumni have not changed. They are still
available, ready for you to pull up a chair and tell
your story.
Last, and certainly not least, our God has not
changed. No matter who occupies the White House,
He still occupies the Throne! May He richly bless you
as you seek to never change "Christ Above All."
In His Grace,
J
.1
,»
^
^H
^r \ if
l!L l\ i I
i \
1
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IeSBB^mAb
./ j
fr ^L 'A.
^gl^fe
-^
.
Upcoming dates for alumni meetings:
Jan. 17 - Dayton, TN March - Chattanooga, Nashville, Knoxville,
Jan. 19 - Orlando Memphis
Jan. 22 -Tampa April -Atlanta, Charlotte
Jan. 23 - St. Pete/Clear water May - DC, NY, NJ
Jan. 26 - Miami June - Indianapolis, Chicago, Detroit,
Jan. 27 - Boca Raton Columbus, Grand Rapids
Jan. 29 - Jacksonville July - CO, AZ, CA ??
February - Houston and Dallas
For more information contact:
David Tromanhauser
davidt@bryan.edu
Cell: 423*605*6472 Office: 423*775*7308
or go to: BryanAlumni.org
jnlumni C/n&titwj
Boston, MA —^
Officer: David Starbuck, '03
Charlotte, NC
Officer: James Arnette, '90
Dayton, OH
Officer: Jackie Perseghetti, '82
Detroit, MI
Officer: Nancy Ruark, '80
Grand Rapids, MI
Officers: Dr. Ron, '65, and Lois, '64, Zartman
Kansas City, MO
Officer: Tabitha Moe, '00
Knoxville, TN
Officer: Miguel Ayllon, '04
Nashville, TN
Officers: Mark Robbins, '80
Mary Pierce Ewing, '75
Orlando, FL
Officer: Lewis Alderman, '86
Philadelphia, PA
Officer: Abby Miller, '03
Richmond, VA
Officers: John Corcoran, '68
Barry Gilman, '69
Washington, DC
Officer: Lisanne Boling, '03
For information about your alumni chapter or to
help organize a chapter in your area, contact the
Alumni Office by email at alumni@bryan.edu or
by phone at 423-775-7297.
jTflamni C/ouneil
Ginny Schatz, '54
Bud Schatz, '56
Faith Heitzer, '69
Joe Runyon, '79
Tom Branson, '80
Ed Fickley '89
Barton Stone, '05
Writers
Wanted
If you have been gradu-
ated from Bryan for more
than 50 years and would like to
share memories of your time on the
Hill with Bryan Life readers, please
write between 300 and 400 words
and send them to Bryan Life, Bryan
College, P.O. Box 7000, Dayton, TN
37321 or email to alumni@bryan.
edu. Please include a current
picture of yourself. While we can't
promise to publish every sub-
mission, we will consider all for
publication in future editions of
Bryan Life.
Do You Get It?
E'Lutnine
E-LvmtnG i$ Bryan's electronic
newsletter, emailed monthly to
those requesting this update.
If you would like to receive
E-Lumlne t fill out the online form
at www.bfyarvedu/media.
Gift Legacy
Gift Legacy is a weekly e-newsletter
offering: current information and illustrations
of how to preserve assets and support
ministries like Bryan College through
thoughtful planning and management
To receive Gift Legacy, fill out the online
form at www,bryan,edu/media.
Illumine
tikirnine is a publication of the Bryan
Center for Critical Thought and
offering serious commentary on
issues by leading scholars. To
liiumfne, send your name and address
to The Bryan Center for Critical
Thought and Practice, Box 7&0ft 721
Bryan Drive, Dayton, TN 37321-6275 or fill out
the online form at www.bryan.edu/niedla.
Christ Above All
27
www.bryan.e
du
honor and memory
/
v
nn ;
receive
ivedfri
om
in memory) of
m\)onoro\
Kenneth and Alice Hurley
Charlotte Jensen
David and Gwen Mercer
Charlotte Jensen
Celia M. Dixon
Barbara King
Donald and Regina Hogue
Barbara King
Charles and Theda Thomas
Russell, Kenneth, Paul, and Norma Jean Thomas
Wesley and Mona James
Pauline Wilkey Greer
Ben S. Landress and Chris
Pauline Wilkey Greer
CBL and Associates Mgmt. Inc.
Pauline Wilkey Greer
Charles and Betty Lebovitz
Pauline Wilkey Greer
Jeffrey and Lynn Silkstone
Pauline Wilkey Greer
James and Janie Hughes
Pauline Wilkey Greer
Emily and Greg Corio
Pauline Wilkey Greer
Kenneth and Alice Hurley
Andrew Hurley
Kenneth and Alice Hurley
Sarah Hurley
James C. Anderson
Harriet Anderson
Dr. John C. Anderson
Christine Hemphill
Dr. and Mrs. Ted Mercer
John and Ruth Bartlett
Dr. and Mrs. Ted Mercer
Eleanor Brown Williams
Rachel Morgan
Dr. and Mrs. John W. R Oliver
Dr. and Mrs. John B. Bartlett
Jean Sentz Tobelmann
Dr. and Mrs. Karl Keefer, Jr.
John and Ruth Bartlett
Dr. and Mrs. Karl Keefer, Jr.
Helen V. Goehring
Lyman L. Goehring and Stephen Lyman Goehring
Bruce L. Pauley
Stephen L. Goehring
Adib and Mirth Liddawi
Stephen H. Liddawi
Morgantown Baptist Church of Dayton, TN
Ralph Toliver
Wanda (Winnie) Davey
Ralph Toliver
Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan L. Bennett
Ralph Toliver
Cranmore Cove Baptist Church
Ralph Toliver
Miriam Levengood
Ralph Toliver
Robert and Helen Moore
Ralph Toliver
David and Cathy Payne
Ralph Toliver
Robert and Sandy Vance
Ralph Toliver
Christ Above All
28
www.bryan.e
du
ivedfrc
recewedrrom
in memory) of
honor of
in nonor
Jane Ellen Hodges
Charles and Sandra Baughman
Grace Bible Church Deaconesses
Ruth T. Wright
Phyllis Fulcher
Chester H. Miller
Bud and Frances Brannon
Thomas and Debra Mainor
Ralph and Ruth Green
Tracey Bridwell
Ruth T. Wright
Walter Hodges
James and Kathy Cropp
Dawn Hoffman
Dawn Hoffman
Wanda (Winnie) Davey
Elizabeth Ann Johnson
John P. Herndon
Bruce L. Pauley
Rear Adm. and Mrs. Vance Fry
John and Ruth Bartlett
John and Ruth Bartlett
Ralph Toliver
Ralph Toliver
Ralph Toliver
Ralph Toliver
Ralph Toliver
Ralph Toliver
Ralph Toliver
Ralph Toliver
Ralph Toliver
Ralph Toliver
Frank P. Wright
E. Walter Seera
Mr. and Mrs. Harry C. Johnson
Patsy D. Herndon
Thomas J. Russell
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Schmickl
Mrs. Rebecca Van Meeveren
Dr. Erwin D. Latimer
Dorothy Seera
David Willson
Brett Landes
Bill and Joyce Hollin
Dr. and Mrs. Stephen D. Livesay
t"You are the light of the world.
A city on a hill cannot be
hidden...
Let your light shine before
men, that they my see your
good deeds and praise your
Father in heaven/ 7
MatthPw 5:14, 16
ir/
■
2009 Visit Dates
Illuminate
Highlight
Highlight
Illuminate
Highlight
Illuminate
Highlight
March 26
March 27
September
September 1 8
October 29
October 30
HIGHLIGHT visitors tour our campus, attend classes and chapel,
have lunch in our dining hall, and experience campus life as a student.
One day to help you understand the Bryan experience.
ILLUMINATE visitors follow the Highlight schedule on Friday, but
since they arrive the afternoon before, they have the opportunity to
stay with a current student in a residence hall and to experience dorm
life and talk with students.
CHRJST ABOVE ALL
teRYAN
College
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